Witnessing a Will is no small responsibility and an important decision to make, both for the witness and the person writing the Will. As part of the Wills Act, witnesses are necessary to ensure the document becomes official and legally binding. Without witnesses, your Will is simply an ‘official looking’ document. Selecting your witnesses is an important step in the process. Make sure you understand who can and can’t witness your Will.

In recent years, there has been some publicity about prospective changes to the law to protect the rights of grandparents (and other extended family) to have contact with children.  This originates from a recent debate in Parliament in which MPs shared experiences of their constituents, including of grandparents accused of harassment and visited by the police after sending birthday cards and Christmas gifts to their grandchildren.

The issue of access rights for grandparents was last examined as part of the Independent Family Justice Review in 2011.

With access to ever cheaper forms of technology and a desire to add extra security measures to your home or business, the use of CCTV and other surveillance equipment has become more popular. To ensure your security doesn’t turn into a liability, it’s important to know the do’s and don’ts of privacy and surveillance. This guide is on hand to provide you with what you need to know to get started.

A Grant of Representation is one of the steps in dealing with a Will and the subsequent Estate. Simply put, it serves as a document to confirm your legal status and ability to deal with the Estate of someone who has passed away. It can sometimes be known by other names such as Grant of Probate but always serves the same purpose; to prove authority in the administration of the Estate.

Renting out a commercial property can be a win-win situation for both sides. Landlords have a property where costs are covered by the tenants and tenants get an affordable place from which to operate their business.

And in many instances, the rental process is smooth, with both parties’ needs sufficiently met.

However, there are times when the relationship between landlord and tenant can break down and cause disputes to arise.

Separating from a partner can be tough, and unpicking a shared life can be messy, expensive and stressful.

And, when it comes to dividing assets, such as the home you have shared, emotions can often run high, with both parties feeling they have a claim to the property.

One way to help you to stay in control of your emotions, and to manage expectations, is to understand your rights and what, by law, you can expect to be entitled to when separating.

Your separation rights, what you can expect as…

If you are set to inherit money, property or other assets from an estate, you may be wondering how long the process takes from someone passing away, to receiving inheritance.

In reality, this question is hard to answer; the timescale can depend on a number of factors, including how complex the estate is.

However, as a general rule, most estates are settled in around six to nine months, with simple estates, (those with no property to sell and only one bank account), settled in around three months.

When someone dies, their belongings, such as their home, their savings, investments and personal effects, becomes known as their ‘estate’. Through a legal process, called probate, this estate is distributed in accordance with the deceased’s wishes where a will has been left. If a will has not been left, the estate is distributed in a way defined by law, known as intestacy.

What is a beneficiary?

In terms of wills, a beneficiary is someone named within a will who will benefit should the person making the will dies.

The Debt Recovery Pre-Action Protocol (PAP) came into effect on 1 October 2017. Now, with time for it to have established itself, we take a look at the impact the protocol has had and whether it has made a difference to businesses looking to recoup monies owed...

If someone close to you has passed away, along with coping with feelings of grief, you may find yourself thrown into the often complex world of dealing with the deceased’s estate.

With terminology you may not have heard before and matters such as inheritance tax and legal documentation to consider, it is little wonder that many people feel somewhat overwhelmed by the task of dealing with an estate.